West LA Times

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 29, 2024) – Community Corporation of Santa Monica, a non-profit organization, and the city of Santa Monica have come together to commence the construction of Berkeley Station, a new affordable housing development. This project aims to provide 13 units of 100% affordable housing for low-income families and transition-aged youth in Santa Monica.

Tara Barauskas, the executive director of Community Corporation, expressed her excitement about the project, stating, "Berkeley Station is an exciting, innovative project and represents two firsts for us – our first development specifically for vulnerable youth, as well as our first modular development built in a factory."

The groundbreaking ceremony witnessed the participation of various community leaders and elected officials, including Phil Brock, Mayor of Santa Monica, who emphasized the city's commitment to addressing housing issues, saying, "Santa Monica continues to be a leader in finding innovative, sustainable, and compassionate ways to address the homelessness and housing crisis."

Sen. Ben Allen also praised the initiative, highlighting Berkeley Station as a model for affordable housing in California. He stated, "Berkeley Station is a model of the type of affordable housing we need to be building across California."

Steve Glenn, the founder and CEO of Plant Prefab, expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with Community Corporation on this project, mentioning, "We are extremely excited to work with Community Corporation of Santa Monica on their first prefabricated development."

Berkeley Station will be built at Plant Prefab's new factory in Tejon Ranch, utilizing innovative techniques to create affordable, temporary, and transitional housing in a sustainable and cost-efficient manner. The development is a significant step towards addressing the affordable housing crisis in Santa Monica and providing a stable living environment for vulnerable groups.